Wolfsbane
by Katherine Kane
Summary: Standing before him, she was an ant. Little muscle, little focus, and little will-power. And yet he could not keep her down. She can't be broken, mentally, or physically. OC/Bane Rated M for safety.
1. Loba Roja

**Wolfsbane **

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**Summary:**

Standing before him, she was an ant. Little muscle, little focus, and little will-power. And yet he could not keep her down. She can't be broken, mentally, or physically. OC/Bane

**Disclaimer: All rights reserved to DC, Bob Kane, and Nolan. Also inspired by a character in Marvel. I only own my OC, and the story that revolves around her.**

**Author's Note: This isn't my first fanfiction. I have another account, but I needed a fresh start to do new stories. I'll still be active in my old one, I just like working in clean new accounts. This is my first Bane fic, but not my first Batman one. **

**Also, I don't speak Spanish, so if anything is incorrect, blame Google Translate. **

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Chapter One: **Loba Roja**

Fighting was never a natural skill that August Wolf had. She didn't grow up wanting to be a boxer, or a wrestler, or any kind of "warrior". She wanted to be a dancer, and was living up to that until she was thirteen. Ballet was her favourate, like any little girl. Except one day she hated it the most. Her parents were late picking her up from practice. It wasn't until four hours later that an Officer Gordon came to pick her up with the dreadful news.

August had no family. But that wasn't how she got where she was...However it certainly lead to where she was.

Mexico was hot, humid, especially at night after a rainfall, but it was never quiet. The noise distracted August from her thoughts and memories. Fighting also seemed to do that too... She could still feel pain, although numb over the years of it being the only thing she could feel. She wrapped up her knuckles and tied back her hair before she pulled on her black Lucha Libre mask. It was black, with a white border around the cat-corner eyes, and a thin white border down the nose. The top of her head was exposed, and it was laced in the back, giving freedom of her short black ponytail. At the side of the mask were pointed tips, to represent ears.

She heard the announcer from down the hall, and walked towards the closed entrance. Her feet heavy with calf-high Doc Martins, legs glad in fish-net stockings and black shorts. An item she wasn't particularly fond of, but she had no choice. Men liked watching scantily clad women fight. Even if it was with them. The black tank top was at least modest, and with the sports bra underneath, she didn't have to worry about her breasts getting in the way.

Sighing, August closed her eyes and stretched her arms and cracked her neck.

"...Y aquí está ... el invicto. La ininterrumpida. Loba Roja!" (_And here she is... the undefeated. The unbroken. Red Wolf!_)

The door began to open, smoke hissed underneath, and the crappy flickering lights over the cage shone across August's masked face.

The nickname Red Wolf was ironic, considering she wore all black. Omar had called her that, because he believed the red wolf he saw the night of the day he found her was an omen of her coming. Red wolves are rare in Mexico, they only had Mexican Grey Wolves. But sometimes, a pack of Red Wolves from Texas find their way into the country. A rare occasion that most people don't even acknowledge.

August stepped into the filthy arena. It was a pit, about 10 feet tall, made entirely out of stone, save for the ground which had bits of hay laying around for a "softer fall". Above was a cage, which made August feel more like a wild animal. She supposed that she was just a dog in a dog fight. Except she never lost. Proof of her victories were laying around the floor and walls itself. Blood stains of every size. Some fresh from last week, some old from months prior. Those who came to watch her fight came to see someone get pummeled into a heap of blood and tears, or to death. For fun, of course. However, those that fought her were either arrogant and cocky male fighters, or other Lucha Libre fighters that think they could be the first to defeat her. Typically they underestimate her. They are usually new to the establishment, and don't know any better.

August never really listened to who she was going to fight, especially when Omar was yelling it into the mic. However, when he did come to her, he would lean into her ear and whisper in his strong Latin accent: "He's a rapist, Wolf." or "He's a murderer." Making her flare up in anger. He treated her like a hungry fighting bitch. Rubbed the scent of blood and meat on the victim, so she could attack him without hesitation.

He did it again, this time, whispering into her ear, "This one is a mercenary, Wolf. Provided by a special guest"

She snarled at the smell of Tequila on his breath, but didn't respond. She never fought a mercenary before. Hunters, yes, cops, sometimes, even soldiers of war, and huge mobsters. But she wasn't stupid, mercenaries meant a certain level of skill and agility and intelligence. They're hired for those reasons. But the question remains... Why would they want to fight her? Omar mentioned a special guest, who must have paid the man for his own death sentence.

Curious to see who that was, she looked up at the crowd, but saw nothing other than howling drunkards sitting on hard steps, some standing and leaning against the cage.

August heard the steel sound of the door before her sliding open, and walked out a man roughly 6 foot. He was muscular, sure, but lithe, bronze skin, and short black hair that was buzzed off at the sides. He looked back at her with hard black eyes and gave a twisted smirk.

"So, you're what's all the fuss is about? This has to be a joke."

She was used to comments like this, and learned to remain quiet to them. The more they are surprised, the better.

The door slammed shut against the stone floor, and the shouts became louder, but August shut them out, and all she could hear was her breathing, and his foot steps. The first few times Omar shoved her into the pit to fight, she couldn't fight back. She got hit, and it hurt, but it didn't last long. Eventually they would get too tired and one punch in the nose sent them down. But over the years, that changed, her skills improved drastically, and she had trained her senses to catch the smallest of sounds, smells, and spot weaknesses.

The mercenary didn't seem to go by the "ladies first" rule, and took a left swing at August, who ducked and appeared behind him. Her arms weren't raised, her legs ram-rod straight.

He spun around and growled at her, "So, that's your secret, huh? Fast? Well, little girl, I've got news for you...I'm faster."

August ducked, spun, and side-stepped around his blows, but then she felt a tug at the back of her head. He had a hold of her pony tail. _Cheap move, _she thought. The mercenary laughed, but it didn't last long when August elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to double over and release her hair. Spinning around, she put her hand around his neck and pushed him back against the ground hard. His head smacked against the cement so hard that it echoed through the pit, and added to the blood stain collection.

From her crouched position on the floor, her hand was still in a steel grip around his neck when the audience began to chant "Mátalo!" over and over again, a phrase that she heard almost every week.

_He's a mercenary_, August told herself. _Think about how many innocent people he was hired to kill. _

The mercenary was clawing at her grip, but founding it difficult to break her fingers. She leaned into his ear, knee pressed right between his knees, emitting a choked groan of pain. "My secret...I cannot be broken."

He looked at her, his black eyes now wide and fearful with twists of red veins. They practically popped out. August stood up, replaced her hand with her foot to keep him still, and then with the other she gave him a fatal blow right to the side of his face. The sheer force snapped his neck, twisted his head to the other side, and sprayed blood everywhere from his shattered mouth, and broken cheekbone.

The eruption of hollers, cheers, and shouts was deafening. She looked down at her mess, and kicked his boot to make sure he was as dead as he looked.

Omar came out, and took her wrist and threw it up in the air with his own, shouting her infamous nickname "Loba Roja!"

"¿Hay alguien más que se atreve a desafiarla?" (_Is there anyone else that dares to challenge her?_)

"I do," came an odd voice in the far distance. It was so odd that it made the room quiet. "I challenge Loba Roja..." The stranger emerged from the darkness, his heavy footsteps could be felt from down below. He was menacing large. Larger than any man August had ever faced before. But that's not what made him stand out the most...It was what was on his face that made her mouth open. It looked like a mask, covering his muzzle in metal and pipes and tubes, went up to the bridge of his nose and seemed to be perfectly moulded to his head. That explained why his voice sounded human-like, yet robotic.

Omar was silenced for a few seconds before he broke out into a wide smile, "Well, then, come on down!"

People began to shout again, money clenched into their fists and people already making bets. The man gave one last hard look at the small girl before he turned and made his way towards the stairs that lead to the pit. Before he had appeared, Omar leaned against August again, "Don't get killed, Wolf." then patted her shoulder almost comfortingly, and all but ran to leave.

August had stopped being nervous ages ago, but Omar's warning was new to her. He never warned her. Who exactly was her new challenger?

The door slid open, and his footsteps seemed every louder. He walked towards her with a certain intimidating swag, his hands swinging back and forth at his sides, and his head hung low from the heavy mask about his head. His eyes didn't leave hers, brows furrowed as if he was confused that such a small little thing could kill a man with one blow. August had to do her best not to take a step back when he approached her, a foot away from where she was standing. It was hard. It was like a 10 foot wall just was approaching you.

She dwarfed next to him. He was double her height, triple her girth, and August wondered how that this man could be scientifically possible.

"What a small thing, you are, Loba Roja..." He examined her through his dark blue eyes. "Tell me, how can small thing defeat so many men nearly twice her size?"

The door behind him slid close, and you could practically hear people holding their breaths.

"Fight me and find out," She spread her legs, bent her knees and put her fists up to her face.

If he was amused, it showed only in the crinkle of the corner of his eyes, "Ladies first."

August narrowed her eyes, but took the invite, and took a swing at him. He caught her tiny fist in his massive one. "Your hands are very small," he observed, "do you really think they'd do much damage to someone like me?"

"I'm just getting started," August growled, but he tightened his hand around her small fist. She twirled herself into him, so her back was pressed up against his hard body and his arm was folded into her. August would have elbowed him in the chin, but the mask was blocking it. She had to test exactly how strong that is before she starts hitting him in the face. Instead she elbowed him sharply into his gut, and she got the response that she was hoping for.

It didn't throw him off of her, against the wall, like most of her blows. Though August wasn't entirely surprised since he felt as strong as her bones were. But it did make him tumble backwards in surprise and release her. August front flipped, and back kicked the man under his chin. She heard him hit the wall, and when she turned around he was already up, adjusting his mask. And when he looked at her... she couldn't tell if it was anger or indifference. If only he didn't have a mask...it's so easier to read someone when their face was showing.

Before she knew it, his hand was wrapped around her throat, and she was flung against the wall. She hit the wall so hard, August was pretty sure that it cracked. Her body slid down to the floor, her muscles in her back ached terribly. She was sure her ribs would have broke if it weren't for the fact that...

"You're full of surprises, aren't you, Loba Roja," he loomed over her. "I let my guard down. That won't happen again, I assure you."

Her mouth twisted in a snarl, then stretched out her legs to tangle her ankles around his and tried to trip him. He might as well have weighed a tonne, as he barely budged. Then, he laughed, bent down, and picked her up by the ankles.

"You're surprisingly heavy for someone your size," he let her swing back and forth, and try to lash at him, but failed. With a grunt he flung her to the other side of the pit, and sauntered over to the other side and stretched out his arms. "I'm disappointed...I was expecting more."

August didn't say a word. She just jumped on her feet and ran straight at him, taking a swing against the side of his head, and another, and another until he was backed up against the wall. His mask, what ever it was for, was made out of steel, but the impact of her hits made it split the skin in his cheek. The man put a hand to his face and saw the droplets of blood.

"Interesting..." Without a warning, he kicked her right in the face, and August went flying back, landing head first on the hard ground. Her skull cracked against the cement, the sound echoing throughout the pit. She felt behind her head, feeling that her blood now stained the floor with the rest of her victims. However, nothing was broken, and she could feel the cut was already healing.

The man walked towards her, bent down and scrutinized her face as if he was confused, "How is it that your nose is not broken?"

August took this moment, and double kicked him under his chin. The impact made him stumble back, and when he staggered, she jumped on him, her knee on pressing on his neck, her other leg on his body. However, that didn't last long, because he had her flat on her back with her arms pinned above her head, with his legs pressing on her knees to keep her from squirming. He continued to stare at her, examining her nose, but saw no bruise. He then met her eyes, but it didn't take long after for August to head butt him hard enough to leave a dent in the forehead of his mask. Though, this did not push him off.

He grunted loudly, an odd sound that came out of his muzzle. It was sort of a purr or a growl the way it came out, but when he touched his forehead and felt the dent, the look he gave her meant he was definitely not purring. "Its time to end this little dance," He took a hold of her neck and held it there, closing in on her windpipe.

August thrashed and kicked and wiggled underneath him. She couldn't breathe... Why she hadn't thought about that weakness was beyond her. She dug her nails into his hand that was pinning her arms above her head, and tried to wiggle her legs free from his knees, but he was so heavy. The longer he had his hand around her neck, the weaker she got, and eventually she started to twitch and squirm underneath him. Then, things start to get foggy, and then everything went to black.

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**Hopefully this will catch your attention. I didn't want to reveal right away whats so special about August in the first chapter. But you'll find out in the next chapter. Hopefully people are interested enough to want more at least... **

**This will eventually take place during the movie, but not quite yet. The first few chapters will deal with who August is, and the development of the friendship between her and Bane, and well, anything else that may grow from that :P**

**R&R would be greatly appreciated! **

**Katherine Kane. **

**ps. Also, please read the author notes. Sometimes there is important information and disclaimers and explainations for things. It gets annoying getting reviews complaining about things that have already been explained in the author's notes. **


	2. Strange

_**Wolfsbane**_

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Patcchi-Patch:** Ah, Thank you so much! I knew Google derped on it. but I don't know anyone who speaks and writes in Spanish, so~. And yes, Tense is my biggest weakness when it comes to writing. That, and a few things... **

**Author's Note:**

I was very surprised and very excited seeing people enjoying the first chapter, haha. I never get that lucky.

Anyway, a few points to explain about this chapter.

- Yes, it explains A LOT of August's past and her condition. This is because finding it out isn't the basis of this story, so I wanted it to get it out of the way.

- I realized that August is very similar to a comic book character that does associate with Bane. I won't say who, since she isn't a very known character, unless you're a super DC nerd. So, because of this, I made August, well, kinda like her. ONLY changed her first name (because she has a weird first name that isnt realistic) and her background history most, because, again, it isn't realistic to the Nolan verse. However, if you know who I'm talking about, then you will see little references to her comic book character, and mentioning characters. There's a few characters I mention in this chapter as well.

Those that recognize her, don't flip your shit that I changed her, because let's just face it, Christopher Nolan changed the background to almost every character. And this is NOLAN verse, not canon verse.

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**Chapter Two:** _Strange_

Bane let the body slump into an old bed of the abandoned hotel building they took over in Mexico. He didn't need to convince the fight club owner that he was taking Loba Roja; once the fighter slumped to the floor, he swung her over his shoulder and left. The owner didn't protest when the other mercenaries appeared and followed him out. Well, he didn't protest anymore after he was shot in the head.

He crushed her neck so hard, that she should have been dead from a broken neck. But she was alive, breathing, but not conscious. And even more strange was that she had no bruises, no red marks, no cuts. The back of her head was damp with blood, but he couldn't locate where it was originated from.

Bane had heard the reputation of Loba Roja, a woman that had never been defeated in a fight...until now. Normally, him and his mercenaries wouldn't spend two thoughts on underground fights. Though the name of Loba Roja was persistent, and whether he didn't want to admit it or not, Bane needed more bodies if he wanted to take Gotham. And it seemed, while his men were able both body and mind, he needed to sacrifice one or more to achieve the next step of his goal. That is why he decided to see this Loba Roja himself. He suspected that there was some trickery, and wasn't expecting much. That is until the woman killed his mercenary brother in less than 10 minutes. That itself was an impressive feat, but not enough for him to show this much interest. It was how she was still alive, still unhurt.

"Lawton, go find something for our new recruit... She will have much of a hang over once she comes to," he barely looked up at the man, though it didn't matter because he didn't say anything when he left the room.

Once he was gone, Bane sat on the edge of the bed, shoving the girls booted foot off to the side, and spared no time ripping off the Lucha Libre mask. Her hair undone itself from the tie, hitting down past her chin, nearly touching her shoulders. "What is a young thing like you... fighting grown men like me?" He asked her, knowing she would not answer.

August was in such a heavy sleeping state, it felt like she was dead. All she could remember was a mask. All she could see was darkness, darkness, and more darkness. Then it felt like she was watching a black and white film.

A little girl sat on the bench inside of an office, her ballet shoes put nicely in a box next to her. A navy blue jacket was wrapped around her, but she still wore her tutu, and her hair was tied in a tight bun. She had been sitting there for so long that her Ballet instructor fell asleep at her chair. The door opened and the little girl bounced up on her feet, then opened her mouth to start yelling at her very tardy parents, only it wasn't them.

A tall man with kind eyes, a thick mustache and in a GCPD uniform walked in instead, bent down at eye level and looked at her, "Are you Agustina Savage?"

The little girl tilted her head and looked back at her Ballet instructor, who was now awakening, rubbing her eyes, and then looked concerned. The little girl nodded.

The police officer looked down and sighed before bringing his old eyes up to the girl's, "I'm Officer Gordon. I'm afraid...I've got some bad news..."

The scene began to fog in August's mind, and instead of hearing the man's voice, she pictured what she always thought what it looked like when her parents died. Their car stopped at a red light in a deserted street of Gotham. Then a gang of mobsters approached them, one wearing a fully red mask that covered his face, save for his eyes and mouth. There was shouting as they pulled them out of the car, and gun shots, and the scene blurred once again.

Another scene came into her mind once more, another memory in film-format. The girl is two years older, about thirteen, when she is dropped off at a house. She had been living in an orphanage for two years, and now has a foster father who is also a doctor. A man who was an orphan himself, and found the girl intriguing. She met him and he seemed nice enough. A strange accent, odd looking, but the girl could not choose who would adopt her.

The Psychiatric Doctor walked out of his large home on the East end of Gotham, his smile wide, and his body ram-rod straight.

"Ah Agustina Savage, how nice it is to see you again," he bent down on one knee, since she was rather short for someone her age. "I have a surprise for you. I just finished your new room. Would you like to see it?"

Her face was impassive until she heard what he had to offer. She hadn't had her own room in two years, and the thought of having her own privacy, her own things, her own space gave her a smile on her face.

The Doctor chuckled, "I take that as a yes. Come with me, Agustina. Let me take your things..."

"Sir, you can call me August. Everyone does."

He smiled again, "Understood, August."

The scene began to burn like film, and then hot flashes of painful memories. The metal bed. The straps. The needles. The evil grin of the evil doctor...

August shot up from her deep sleep, her eyes blurring, not being able to observe her surroundings properly. Her head was pounding against her skull, causing her to groan and clutch her head.

"Careful now. You were out for some time...And you've hit your head a few times the other day," came a slight robotic voice that snapped her out of her daze.

August turned to him, still clutching her head, "I blame you for that. Where am I?"

"An abandoned hotel building," the large man walked to her bedside, and picked up the bottle of whiskey that was at her bedside, and poured it into a red solo cup. "Drink."

She didn't even touch it, "Why am I in an abandoned hotel building? With you? Where's Omar?"

"Omar," he began as he sat down on the chair next to her bed. His voice sounded strained, as if talking exhausted him,"Is dead."

August didn't feel sorry, or angry. She had been with Omar for nearly a decade, but she had no great love for the man. He wasn't cruel to her, in all actuality, he treated her like a goddess, but that was only because she brought him money, and if she wanted to, she could snap him like a twig. But he was still someone, the only person, that August knew, and his home, and the pit, was the only home she had known for a long time.

"He didn't have to die, you know," she finally said, after swallowing the bile in her throat.

"Oh, but he did. He exploited a young girl's abilities for gain. He encouraged you to kill your opponents. Your boss was not a noble man."

"And you are?"

"You should really drink that," he changed the subject, "it will help with your headache."

"I'm not drinking that...it won't help me none," she turned her face away. "What do you want from me?"

"Now that, my dear, is a question with a long answer."

"What's the short version?"

"You will join me and my brothers, and be a mercenary...An Assassin in the League of Shadows. I...We have great plans for the future."

"I take it you only want me to be 'part of your team' because of my strength, not my radiate personality?" She glared at the wall, but not at him.

"Actually no. You have no natural strength, I'm afraid. But you have a talent, my dear, and that is you cannot be kept down for long. Is that not your secret?"

She slowly looked at him, her hands folded down on her lap, "Who are you?"

"A symbol," he leaned back into his chair, it creaking under his weight, "But the masses know me as Bane."

"Bane," she said his name, "What's your real name?"

"I just told you," his voice vaguely sounded amused. "And what is yours? Surely it isn't Loba Roja..."

August swallowed and looked away from him, "August. August Wolf."

"August," he breathed, "You look like you're not sure."

"I changed my name years ago, and I rather keep that as much of a secret as you keep your real name," she shot him a look

Bane was silent for a moment before he gave a short, "Very well." There was a moment of silence as he looked back at the untouched drink and then looked at her. "Before I leave... There are pressing questions that I give you no choice but to answer."

"You want to know how I can get back up?" He didn't answer, but she figured that meant yes, "Why should I tell you?"

"Because," he breathed, "I'm not giving you a choice. If you do not tell me, I will find a way."

"The only people that know are dead, except for one, and you will never know who that is without getting it from me."

"Then you can make it easier for me," he began, looking calm and relaxed as ever. "And tell me."

"No. I don't know you, and I don't trust you."

"I don't know and trust you either," he retorted. "But here I am getting to know you, though you are not allowing me."

August narrowed her eyes at the large man, "Fine. You ask me a question, and I'll ask you a question. We both have to answer it."

He looked amused by the crinkle of his eyes, "A child's idea. You truly are so young."

"Do you want to know or what?"

He sighed, "Very well. Why is it that you have no mark, no scar, no bruise anywhere on your body."

She answered right away, "I heal remarkably fast. Why do you wear that mask?"

"It helps me breathe," he answered casually. "Why do you heal fast?"

This time she hesitated, "I was born that way. A perfect metabolism, they said. I had a twin sister, who was very sick...She was allergic to everything, and had to be kept in a bubble. The theory is that what she lacked in health, I gained, that I...somehow took it from her while we were in the womb."

Bane was quiet for a moment, "Fascinating..."

"Who are the League of Shadows?"

"A secret society," he said rather bluntly, "They restore balance to places that are tainted with human corruption."

This was curious, and peaked August's interest, "So, they are like vigilantes?"

"That is two questions... But yes, if you like to think it that way. Does your metabolism make your bones unbreakable as well?"

August stayed silent for the longest time, looking down at her hands, "Uh, no... They would heal my bones, whenever I broke them, but...that isn't why they can't be broken."

"Why can't they be broken?"

"That's two questions," she shot back straight away.

"You owe me one."

She winced, but took her time answering. "I was sent to foster care with a doctor...but he was twisted. Cruel. Mad. He knew about my ability to heal, and examined me, poked and probed me, until he got an idea. If I could heal, he said, then I cannot die, since my body will just repair itself. But I wasn't invincible, and he needed to change that. He wanted the perfect warrior, and that meant that my bones had to be unbreakable too, and that my attacks should be harsher. The only way he could do that was by making my skeleton solid metal. He created something...something harder than Tungsten Carbide...harder than diamonds, he would boast...

"He knocked me out and submerged me in a tank. I don't remember how, but I remember it was painful, that every part of my body felt like it was frost bitten but melting on the inside. I could feel my white blood cells working overtime to heal the damages it was doing to my muscles and bones. And...when I woke up, it was a year later. I was sixteen. Three years I spent with that man, being tortured and experimented on.

"At first I couldn't move. I was so much heavier than I used to be, like the gravity was turned up on high. When he saw this, he thought it was a failure, and he meant to kill me, but he couldn't figure how. He left me on the table to starve, hoping that would do it. But all it did was make me get used to the weight of my body... And when I did, I didn't hesitate to leave. And I never looked back. I just kept on running."

Bane wasn't saying anything, and she was glad for that. She hoped that if she didn't look at him long enough, she could convince herself that he wasn't there, and she just confessed her story to an empty room. But she never had luck on her side.

"What was his name?"

She was a bit surprised, considering there was a long lapse of silence. August also completely forgot that this was a third question. "Strange. Doctor Hugo Strange..."

Suddenly Bane stood up, his body towering over her, that she needed to crane her neck to look at him, "We will find him, this I promise you. And when we do, August, we will cleanse the world of his existence."

"No," she said firmly, gaining her a look of confusion from Bane. "Not we. Me... I want to do it."

His look changed to that of indifference, "As you wish."

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**Author's Note**

Le slight cliffy for yoooou. I wonder if you guys thought it was Crane that was the Doctor, and not Strange?

Anyway. Besides Dr. Strange and obviously Bane, there are two Batman Villains mentioned in this chapter. Can you guess who?

_**- Katherine Kane. **_


	3. Rise

**_Wolfsbane_**

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__Ach! So sorry that I haven't updated for a while. It's been hella busy around here, and I just haven't gotten the muse for this story for a little while. Mostly because this chapter is a bit boring, since it has only a little Bane in it. Hopefully things will pick up in the next chapter.

Thanks for the reviews, favs, follows, etc!

Also, yes I got the idea from Wolverine, and yes the picture for the book cover is supposed to be August. Enjoy!

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**CHAPTER THREE: The Fire Rises **

It's been four days since August woke up in that old hotel building. She hadn't seen Bane since their talk the day she woke up, but that didn't mean she was lonely. There were a number of mercenaries in the building, though few of them she saw often. One was Floyd Lawton, tall lithe man, with eyes and lips that any woman would want to see on a man, only he wore goggles from what she saw most of the time. He was typically at Bane's side, but he was charged with helping August adjust.

Then there was Ben Turner, a dark-skinned man that was a martial arts expert. August knew this since she often seen him training with the other Mercenaries, but typically with a ginger haired man named Richard Dragon. He had another last name, but he made a point not to mention it. She supposed that they had that in common at least, since her last name wasn't really Wolf.

Another man that August got to know was Kyle Abbot, who took a special interest in her due to her nickname. He was large, and intimidating, and took the whole 'wolf' thing too seriously, as some people say that he attacks, quite literally, like a wolf. They don't question it though, since it seems effective when he wants to get a job done, so August didn't either.

There were others, of course, most of them remained nameless, but there were no more than 30 mercenaries and assassins in the building that August knew of. What she was glad for was that they didn't treat her as a prisoner, but they didn't let her leave the building either. Not that she wanted to, since she had no where else to go. The one thing she noticed, however, was that she was the only woman amongst these men. This didn't seem to be an issue, considering that they all seemed well behaved. Most of the time, anyway.

"Girl," came the voice of Lawton, one that August got accustomed to.

"I have a name," August told him, breaking the stale bread as she watched Mexican Soccer.

"Yeah, it's 'girl'. What do you know about shooting?"

"About as much as I know about soccer," she looked at him and bit off a chunk of her bread, then asking with a mouth full, "Why?"

"If you're going to be with us, you need to learn how to handle a gun. Get up," Lawton was rough when he talked. He didn't beat around the bush, and was quicker with his words than he was with a gun. If that was even possible.

"I don't need to learn how to shoot a gun," She ignored him, and turned back to the only channel they got.

Then, all of a sudden, there was a loud bang, and a sheering pain in her left shoulder. August sprung up, and clenched her arm and turned around to glare daggers at Lawton. "What the fuck!"

"You'll heal. Come with me. We've got a lot of training to do before we leave Mexico," He turned on foot and walked out briskly.

August was fuming as she clenched her bleeding shoulder. Wincing, she dug her fingers inside her wound and pulled out the bullet, letting it fall onto the floor. The bullet was flatten at the tip from where it hit her steel bone. Grumbling, she followed Lawton's footsteps, still holding onto her shoulder so the blood wouldn't get everywhere. Eventually, she felt the flesh begin to fuse itself back together, and it looked like nothing happened. By then, August was on the roof with a couple of other mercenaries. One she knew as Parson, and the other Sato. Parson was setting up what looked like a giant sling shot, and Sato was standing near Lawton with a carbine riffle cradling in his arms.

When she approached him, that very gun was shoved into her arms. August made a face, but cradled it despite it weighing as much as a fat toddler, and then joined Lawton's side reluctantly.

"We're going to sling plates, and you gotta shoot them," was his instructions.

"I never used a gun before," August pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

He sighed, "Point and shoot."

That didn't help. Ten minutes passed of August haphazardly shooting bullets into the sky, making it rain lead. The guys around her laughed, all except for Lawton, who was fed up with it. Then, he decided to take a much more practical approach.

"Alright, just breathe in, and then exhale, aim, then shoot."

This proved more useful than just 'point and shoot', as she actually hit the plate on the edge. This went on for at least two hours, and August's arm was killing her. She was already heavy, but cradling that thing for over an hour with no breaks made her arms go numb and sore. Not to mention her ears were ringing and popping from shooting into the sky for so long.

"You have a terrible shot," Lawton pointed out in an irritated voice.

"Hey, 10 out of 60 is not bad," August protested, but she already knew that he wasn't buying it. At least she hit some of the plates. "Hey, I'm not an expert marksman, like you, Mr. Deadshot."

"Clearly," he rolled his eyes and stood up. "You're no fighter either. All you can do is take a punch."

August narrowed her eyes, "I am too a fighter. I've been fighting for five years, asshat."

He rolled his eyes again, "Go downstairs, girl. Proper fighting training is about to start. Let's hope you're better at that than firing a gun."

She was ready to turn around and aim the gun at him, but knew that wouldn't end well, and decided to drop it and leave the roof. Bane was still gone, so she knew he wouldn't be the one to help her learn how to properly fight. August also knew that she talked big, but in reality, she had no real fighting trainer or anyone to teach her, she just kinda learned by herself by observing other people.

Ben and Richard were waiting for her in the lobby of the hotel. They didn't wear any shirts and were wrapping up up their knuckles.

"You made quite the noise, Wolf," Ben chuckled. At least he used her name and not 'girl' like Lawton did.

"Did I wake you?" She grabbed the tape and wrapped up her knuckles. She didn't have to, but it was a practice that always made her get into the mood for fighting.

He ignored the joke, and began to stretch his arms, "Bane wanted us to teach you how to properly fight. You pack a hard punch, kid, but a _real _fighter knows what he's doing."

"I know what I'm doing. I've never been defeated-"

"Until now," he pointed out the obvious. The way Ben looked at her was like he was training child, his son, or daughter more likely. "Bane beat you fairly easily. My job is to make sure no one tries to get to your neck and choke the life out of you. You may be extremely durable, Wolf, but you aren't immortal."

August remained quiet, knowing what he said spoke the truth.

Ben continued, "Now before we start throwing fists, I want you to sit down and I want you to answer some questions, and listen." He waited for her to sit down in the chair in the room, she did so uncertainly. Where was he going with this? Ben sat down on the table in front of her. "When did you start fighting?"

"Um, about five years ago..." She answered.

"Why?"

"It was the only way for me to make a living...Omar took me in as long as I worked for him."

"That's a bullshit reason to start fighting, kid," he sighed and stood up. "Martial arts is called the 'arts' for a reason... It doesn't just test your body, it tests your mind and soul. Are you ready for that, Wolf?"

August watched him as he paced, flexing his muscles as if it was a second nature. She had to take him and Richard seriously. If anyone else could take her down, it was them. Lawton could shoot her all he wanted, but all that would accomplish was make August a temporarily Swiss Cheese slice.

August nodded.

Ben clapped his hands, "All right, let's get started." He snapped his fingers and pointed to the floor, where a blue matt was placed that August only noticed now. "Sit."

Confused, she stood up and sat back down, crossing her legs on the matt, and looked up at him.

"Let's start with meditation," he said simply.

"Meditation? What does that have to do with fighting-"

"Everything... Meditation helps you get to know your body, have more control over it... Meditation requires discipline of the mind," Ben bent down and looked at her. "Control your anger, your sadness, your happiness, and desires, and you have control over your actions. Do you understand me?"

August nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Good, now close your eyes, and take a deep breath. And listen to my voice, and only my voice."

August closed her eyes, and placed her hands on her knees, and listened to his voice. Or at least tried to. Along with his, there were about a million other voices in her head, mainly her own, saying different things.

_I'm hungry_

_How long is this going to take_

_I can't believe Lawton shot me_

_Where's Bane?_

_My back hurts..._

_God, Bane is taking forever, what is he doing..._

_..._

_"I'm disappointed... I was expecting more."_

_"This won't hurt a bit, August. Just close your eyes and think about something else..."_

_That grin...Those glasses..._

_Why is he doing this to me, does he hate me?_

_"You're a very special girl, August... And a very special girl needs a very special doctor to look after her."_

_"I'm Officer Gordon. I'm afraid...I've got some bad news..."_

_"And here she is! The Undefeated Loba Roja!" _

_Why am I a red wolf?_

_"Because one came to me... Red means blood. It means life. It means fire. And fire is strong. It's alive. Fire rises."_

_... __Deh-Shay, Deh-Shay, Bah Sah Rah. Bah Sah Rah... Deh-Shay, Deh-Shay, Bah Sah Rah. Bah Sah Rah._

"WOLF!"

August's eyes snapped up and she was staring at wide brown ones. Ben had his hands on her shoulders and was shaking her until her eyes snapped open.

"Jesus Christ, Wolf, what the hell happened?"

She blinked rapidly, but didn't move. She couldn't move. Not for a few more seconds, and when she did, she began to rub her eyes, "I did...what you told me to. Close my eyes, and relax, and, and..."

Ben sighed and squatted down next to her, "This will take some practice..."

August looked up at him oddly, "What happened? Did I fall asleep?"

"Not exactly," he looked over his shoulder at Richard. "You were convulsing quite violently. Now, twitching is normal, but it looked like you were having a seizure."

"What is it exactly were you thinking?" Richard approached them, standing behind Ben with his arms crossed.

"I, uh," She looked down, only encountering one painful memory, and one voice that echoed in her head.

"I think that's enough for today," Came a voice that wasn't Richard's nor Ben's. It was Bane's, and his voice commanded attention. The three of them spun in his direction; August stood up and looked at the massive man coming through the door, with a few followers trailing behind him.

"August," Bane said thoughtfully, barely giving her a glance, "follow me."

Looking over at Richard and Ben, August was confused, but followed him anyway. Bane led her to the familiar room where he first took her. He pulled out a chair and told her to sit down, and she did so reluctantly. Bane remained standing, stripping off his gauntlets and putting them on the side table.

"You made quite the noise today with Lawton. I could hear you a miles away," he commented with a heavy sigh when stood before her. "Marksmanship is clearly not your forte."

"It's hard to keep the guns up..." Was her only answer.

"Clearly," he repeated the word and sat down across from her, his weight stressing the wood in the chair. "You have very little muscle in your arm. The only reason why you're durable is not because of your muscle, but your bones."

"My body is heavy," August retorted quickly. "It's hard enough to learn to live with more weight on a small frame, let alone balancing an extra ten pounds in the air with one or two hands."

"That is why... you need to be trained, Loba Roja... I need more commitment, I need more discipline."

August tilted her head to the side, "Or what?"

"Or you will be given an alternative. You can either train with me and my mercenaries, or learn the way I learned, in a pit where there is much hope, but no way of reaching it."

August squinted her eyes and looked at him oddly. What was he talking about? The look in his eyes sounded like it wasn't supposed to be a very pleasant place to stay. Part of her, her pride, wanted to say she could handle it. Put her in this pit. She'll get out. It couldn't be that hard.

He didn't wait for her to respond, and started to describe to her what she was going to do starting tomorrow until the next move they make outside of Mexico. "Tomorrow at dawn you will wake up, eat the desired amount of food to keep you stable, and then join Ben and Richard for an hour's martial arts training. Afterwords, you will run laps up and down these stairs with two buckets of water for two hours. Break, and then Marksmen training with Lawton."

"I can't do all that in one day-"

"I will not tolerate laziness, Wolf. Being a woman will not make you weaker, nor will your condition," he stood up, using his hands on his knees to push up the weight of his torso and masked head. "If you fall...then you must rise."

* * *

**I should have just called this series "Rise" LOL Hope you enjoyed it. Hope I'll update soon XD**

**- Katherine Kane**


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